On September 12, 2003, Johnny Cash died at the age of 71, leaving behind a legacy of foundational music, with a catalog that spanned country, folk, blues, rockabilly, and rock hits. Rising to fame in the mid-50s, the “Man in Black” would go on to release nearly 100 albums and more than 150 singles, including “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Ring of Fire,” and “Walk The Line.” As popular as his originals were, though, Cash experienced a late career renaissance, thanks to his minimal and moving covers of songs like Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt” and Soundgarden’s “Rusty Cage.” One of the best-selling artists in the history of popular music, Cash was an inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Hall of Fame, and Gospel Hall of Fame.
In 1989, Aerosmith released their tenth studio album, Pump, via Geffen Records. The album, which featured the Grammy-winning hit “Janie’s Got a Gun” and the chart-topping “Love in an Elevator,” peaked at No. 5 on the US charts and was certified septuple platinum by the RIAA in 1995.
In 1954, Frank Sinatra reached No.1 on the UK singles chart with “Three Coins In The Fountain.” The song was the first of three eventual UK chart-toppers for the icon.
In 1975, Pink Floyd released their ninth studio album, Wish You Were Here. Hailed among the greatest rock albums of all time, the record reached number one in both the US and UK and has since sold over 20 million copies worldwide.
In 1963, The Beatles scored their second No.1 on the UK singles chart with “She Loves You.” The song was not only the UK’s highest-selling single of the decade, but remains the Fab Four’s best-selling single in their home country.
In 1966, N.B.C. aired the first episode of The Monkees TV show in the US. The series ran for a total of 58 episodes.
In 1970 Creedence Clearwater Revival scored their first UK No.1 album with Cosmo’s Factory. In the US, it occupied the top slot for nine weeks, selling over three million copies.
In 1970, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles scored their first UK No.1 with “The Tears Of A Clown.”
BORN ON SEPTEMBER 12
1931: George Jones
1944: Barry White
1952: Neil Peart (Rush)
1952: Gerry Beckley (America)
1966: Ben Folds
1978: Michael Paget (My Bloody Valentine)
1981: Jennifer Hudson
1994: RM (BTS)
With the tragic news late last month of a mass shooting of school children in a church in Minneapolis, it gets one thinking about how to react if ever confronted with a similar situation. Meeker County Sheriff Brian Cruze says his department trains for how to respond to those types of incidents.
Sheriff Cruze says it’s unfortunate that we live in a world in which one would need to think about such things, but they try to get the public to be familiar with the concept of “run, hide, fight.” He says if you ever are in a situation where there’s a mass shooter, try to run away from the danger or hide, and if your life is on the line, try to find something that you can use to attack the shooter such as a fire extinguisher or chair.
Sheriff Cruze says in most of these situations, the shooter does not value their own life and knows that they will either be shot by law enforcement or will commit suicide and they plan to take out as many lives as possible before they die. He says with Wednesday’s assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk in Utah, it’s a reminder that we need to get back to civility in our nation.
Sheriff Cruze says yesterday’s 24th anniversary of 9-11 is a good reminder of the fire fighters, rescue squad members and law enforcement who risk their lives every day protecting the public.
Scott Gottschalk embarked on his No Boundaries Tour on May 25th in an effort to break a world record and to draw attention to the problem of human trafficking, but an accident 21 days later, brought his tour to an end. However, he has continued the campaign in other ways and a big finale is coming up tomorrow to celebrate.
Gottschalk will be taking one final ride today to West Fargo, ND and back on a 3-wheeled cycle. He says on Saturday, there will be a ride with 200 motorcycles from Hilmerson Sports Center in Little Falls to Vikingland Harley-Davidson in Sauk Rapids and there will be a special guest – the current motorcycle ride record holder – Pat Cornell.
Gottschalk says there will be a celebration event from 12-to-3:30 tomorrow at Vikingland in Sauk Rapids with food, entertainment, raffles and a silent auction. For more details, go to NBTRide.com.
A race official died after an incident Wednesday evening at the WISSOTA 100 races in Fergus Falls. WISSOTA Board Member and I-94 EMR Speedway staff member – 68-year-old Scott Engfer of Litchfield – was killed in the accident.
Fergus Falls Police say that at around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Engfer entered the I-94 EMR Speedway racetrack on an ATV while a race was actively occurring and was struck by a race car. Life saving measures were administered on site and Engfer was transported to the Lake Region Healthcare emergency room. Police say he succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
An investigation is ongoing, and the Minnesota OSHA compliance office has been notified of the incident. The Fergus Falls Police Department was assisted by Ringdahl Ambulance and the Fergus Falls Fire Department.